The Nintendo 64 was Nintendo's first fully 3D-producing video game system. The console's launch was surrounded by immense hype with the console being described as the most powerful hardware on the market. As all things go however, software selection will win over graphical prowess and the Nintendo 64 therefore faced heated competition from the cheaper and easier to develop for Sony PlayStation and its significantly larger library of games. The Nintendo 64's Achilles' heel was its use of game cartridges rather than compact discs. There were several benefits to cartridges, including minimal load times, however compact discs enabled developers to include better music and computer generated video. Publishers such as Capcom, Square, and Namco were lured to the PlayStation by these features. Despite these shortcomings, the Nintendo 64 proved itself to be more than a worthy competitor. Beyond its graphical power, the system introduced such innovations as the joystick controller, rumble pak, and perhaps most importantly four controller ports. The Nintendo 64 became the generation's "party" machine with multiplayer games like Mario Kart 64, Goldeneye 007, Mario Party, and Super Smash Bros. Furthermore, two of the most endearing games of all time, Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, were born on the Nintendo 64.
The Nintendo 64 console and accessories contain model numbers beginning with the letter NUS and ending with a consecutive number system. NUS is said to represent "Nintendo Ultra Sixty-Four". The Nintendo 64 was tentatively dubbed "Ultra 64" before being officially named "Nintendo 64". (In the early days of Nintendo, "Ultra" was used to describe Gunpei Yokoi's various inventions.) In addition, the console was code-named "Project Reality" in its early stages of development. The term "Project Reality" was in reference to the "real" three-dimensional environments that Nintendo felt could be created with the new system. Here you will find detailed information regarding all aspects of the Nintendo 64 and its accessories.